For the
turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall
destroy them. But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be
quiet from fear of evil.
Proverbs
1:32-33
Temptation
is at every turn or our head… There are so many people that we encounter on a
daily basis that simply do not have our best interest at heart and today we are
reminded of the importance of having a sober mind and steady focus on the Lord…
As I read the opening portion of this scripture which says, “For the turning away of the simple shall
slay them…” I immediately begin to think about Lot
(in the book of Genesis) leaving his home at the command of God and how his
wife looked back and became a pillar of salt… The entrapment of Lot ’s wife was founded on the hills of her focusing on
the past while God was leading them to a new home and future… The simple things in life are often the
hardest things to overcome and let go of… Success (making money), an
addiction or even a relationship all pose major problems in our lives; however,
we are reminded today that when we fall victim to seeing someone’s success,
pick up a beer based on the suggestion of someone or become envious of a
relationship we have allowed these simple devices to ruin us and ultimately slay
us… In understanding the word simple used in the passage taken from the book of
Proverbs I come to the conclusion that the matters that will affect you the
most and deter your growth in the Lord are the simple matters that are allowed
to fester in your life instead of being handled in a mature manner at the time
of their conception… Arguing with your spouse about matters which can be
rectified can be a simple thing which grows to something larger and ends in
divorce if not handled correctly… As the word of God says, you have to be faithful over a few things… Don’t allow
small matters to occupy huge chunks of your time; don’t allow worldly prosperity of fools to destroy you…
Turn from those fleshly and lustful desires; the more you see and feel tempted
to chase after vainglory is the more that you need to run from it and hearken
unto the Lord… Not every door is for you to venture through, not every path
laid before you is of God and you must abide in Him so that He can write the vision and make it plain… You have to know that the pastures you dwell
in today may not be the green pastures you think exist on the other side; however,
you must stand in faith knowing that God is and that God can do anything but
fail… You are where you are for a reason and a seasons; don’t get caught up in
what appears pleasing to the eye (it could be damaging to the soul)… We all
have heard the saying, “don’t judge a
book by its cover” today; let us apply this in our Christian walk… Solomon
gives important advice today as to how we are to handle situations or
opportunities that arise in our lives… There are so many people that we come
across that are in need, they are in need of financial assistance, they are in
need or prayer and they are in need of a relationship with Christ… We view this
people in our lives as a situation or something that happened on one of our
days journeys; however, I refer to all these examples as opportunities… When
you are faced with a person in need, this is an opportunity for you to share
Christ power, faithfulness and love to that person or individual… Solomon tells
us that “the turning away of the simple shall slay them…” When we turn
away from these opportunities we slay ourselves by denying Christ to move in
our lives and impact the lives of others through us… Solomon was given the
title of the wisest man to ever live…
Today he
gives us reasons for his wisdom when it comes to living according to the word
and will of God… So many of us have turned away from God, we have set our eyes
on things of this earth and have lost focus of the bigger picture at hand…
Solomon reminds us today that we perish not because of mistakes, but because we
have set our minds and chased after the wrong things… Every situation you face
in life presents you a choice and Solomon calls for us to recognize on today
that when we make choices that turn us away from God we will end up perishing…
This verse goes on to say that the prosperity of fools shall destroy them…
Think about this next statement very carefully as you read today’s devotional… The
things that motivate you in this life are the things that control you in this
life… When you are a parent, your children not being in want may motivate
you to work hard and do a good job… When you are in a relationship, the love
you have for that individual may keep you from cheating on them… The same is
true when it comes to the will of God… If you are motivated by earthly gains and
prosperity than you are not motivated by the love of Christ and His offering on
the cross; likewise, when you are motivated by God you live a Godly life that
is acceptable in His sight… The way to find out what kind of life you are
living is to simply look at how you conduct yourself in your everyday affairs…
Hosea 4:6 records that “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge…” Not knowing the God you server in the most
adverse situation will allow the enemy to control you at your weakest and
lowest point… We are dying because we do not know God, we are not
motivated by His love, and we aren’t walking according to His calling… Solomon
goes on to say “the prosperity of fools shall destroy them…” It’s so
easy for us to get caught up in what someone else has or a level of success
that we think someone else has achieved… However, as a child of God we must
know that we seek a crown that is incorruptible, a mansion that will never fade
a way and a life that will never end… We must remember that we will be tempted
and their will be many things that will come in to our lives which may lead us
to question the path we are currently on; however, we must stay the course,
deny the desire to try a (n) easier path and hold to God’s unchanging hand…
Proverbs 16:25 says, “There is a path before each person that seems right,
but it ends in death.” When things seem right to you and God is not the
center you need to recheck your ways… When things seem right and you know God
is not pleased you need to take a step back… The bible tells us that those who
walk according to their own desires will succumb to them; however, we are
promised to overcome when we walk with God as our head… “But whoso
hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quit from fear of evil…”
God promises your protection, He promises your safety and He promises your
deliverance… This is a two-way street; you must hearken unto Him… You must turn
to Him, you must adhere to Him, and you must abide according to His will and
plan for your life… Even the richest men shall perish; the most prosperous
shall be in want if they are not under the guidance of Jesus Christ… All those
of this world shall perish when the Day of Judgment comes, all those living
according to this world shall be cast into the pits of hell and never know the
true prosperity that comes from God… You must fight the good fight, keep the
faith and finish the race… Knowing that your work is not in vain when it is in
the Lord…
BE BLESSED!!!
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